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August 26, 2011

Now that I'm getting into the back-to-school spirit ("spirit" may be exaggerating a bit) I'm looking for some interesting new breakfast ideas that will make peeling myself out of bed at 5:30am just a wee bit more bearable. Naturally, my friend Julia, personal chef and veggie blogger over at No Face Plate came through with a d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s new recipe. Read this, weep, and then head on over to her blog to check out recipes that will certainly make you wish that a personal chef was in your budget. (Sigh.)

Consequently, meals have simplified a fair bit (and I'll admit it - we're eating out a TON). But I want to share with ya'll a fav breakfast go-to of mine - Scrambled Tofu Sammiches.This is a seriously simple brekkie to make. 15 minutes and you'll be biting into a warm, soft mini-sammich with relish and abandon. Best on a Saturday morning after a night out on the town - if you're making these to eat later, or for work the next day, pack the fixins' and tofu separately from the bread or it'll get soggy.Scrambled Tofu Slidersmakes 4 sliders, or two brekkies1 block firm tofu3 tablespoons nutritional yeast1 tsp sesame oil1 tsp olive oil1 tbl turmericDash curry powder6 garlic cloves, minced1 tsp dijon mustardOnion powder, 1 tsp1.5 tsp salt

1 loaf french bread, warmed in the ovenNayonnaise1 tomato, sliced thinHandful small leaf lettuce, arugula, whatever you gotLet's do this.Get a large bowl and mash the tofu to chunky-mashedness with your paws or a potato masher. Add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly.Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a iron skillet and dump the tofu in. Over high heat, saute the mash until it dries out a bit andbrownsin places, stirring constantly.Slice your bread thin - 1 cm max. Spread some nayo on one slice, pile a small, compacted handful of tofu, then tomato, then greens. Secure with a toothpick and serve!Easy peasy and nutritious. Yay!

August 25, 2011

Though I haven't been blogging much since I accidentally insulted the entire town of Cleveland, Mississippi, I have been cooking. ( And eating. In my brand new, gorgeous kitchen, at that.) I stole a bunch of my roommate's Better Homes and Gardens (among other things) before I left Charlotte for small town North Carolina, and this recipe is adapted from their June issue. Since I am a girlie girl who's never lit a grill in her life, I subbed the roomie's ol' reliable George Foreman for um, an actual grill. Just how well did it turn out? To quote my new, non-vegan roommate verbatim: "I didn't know tofu could taste this good."

2 packages firm tofu, drained and cut into slices that are about 1/2 in. thick (otherwise they'll fall apart on the grill)

1. Preheat grill (or, in my case, the George Forman) to medium-high. In medium bowl, combine all ingredients except tofu, stirring well. Squeeze excess water from tofu and pat with paper towels.
2. Place tofu in a single layer in the bottom of a large Tupperware container. Pour marinade onto tofu.
3. Marinate for 20 minutes. Halfway through, flip tofu over to get an even marinade.
4. Grill tofu until lightly brown on each side. Serve with Toasted Couscous with Grilled Mango and Zucchini (below).

With a brand new, extra-awesome, extremely large kitchen in which to whip you up recipes that will change your life forever.

Maybe that's going a little far? Eh.

Can we say...upgrade?

Here is it...the brand new Preppy Vegan kitchen. This is my first kitchen that's not crammed into the corner of an apartment, and I'm in heaven. Literally. (Do you SEE all of that counter space?) It's a new feeling to be able to be in the kitchen at the same time as my roommate and not have to scramble and shuffle to stay out of each other's way.

And happily, thought I've moved to Small Town, USA, our local Food Lion has an entire organic/natural foods section with a ton of vegan fare. (Once again: I'm in heaven.)

While I've been too busy/exhausted to blog, I haven't been too busy/exhausted to eat, and I have a ton of awesome recipes coming your way verrrrry soon. (Promise.)

Thanks for being patient with me during my sabbatical of sorts. Happy Monday!